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Despite the arrests and other repression which followed the collapse of the National Dialogue process and in response to the July and September flag-raisings, it was a far cry from the systematic repression previously employed by Soeharto's New Order government and there were clear signs that the government recognized a need to respond in some way to Papuan aspirations.
In July 1999, while discussion of the National Dialogue was still banned, the territory's Lieutenant Governor, John Djopari, undertook a tour of the area together with an Indonesian parliamentary delegation. Their purpose was to promote a plan to divide the province into three in what was, according to Djopari, a long-planned initiative to improve government services in remote areas and to provide jobs for local people (each province in Indonesia is run by a governor and has its own parliament, government offices, and so on).109
Lack of jobs and services were in fact serious sources of discontent, but given the timing, Papuans viewed the policy as a cynical response to the National Dialogue, and predicted it would introduce more soldiers and immigrants to the region, accelerate their cultural and economic marginalization, and hinder the province-wide organizing that had flourished since the fall of Soeharto. Djopari and the parliament members were met with angry protests, and the issue was hotly debated and denounced in the local media.110
Despite the noisily expressed objections, the central government pushed ahead, saying those who rejected the idea didn't really understand it, and were most likely separatist sympathizers.111 The plan was passed into law on September 16, one week before legislators elected in the democratic June 5 elections took office.
On October 12, in Jakarta, Drs. Herman Monim and Marine Brigadier General Abraham Atururi were sworn in as governors of the provinces of Central and West Irian Jaya, respectively. The ceremony had been ordered by Habibieon September 25112 and went forward despite letters from Governor Freddy Numberi advising Jakarta to wait, due to lack of funds, a tense political climate, and "insufficient socialization" of the policy.113
On October 14, thousands gathered outside the governor's office in Jayapura. Trucks and buses made multiple trips from the nearby university town of Abepura that morning, but students were the minority in a crowd of approximately 9,000.114 The demonstration was largely peaceful, although at one point someone threw stones at anti-riot police blocking the entrance to the governor's office. Emotions were quickly diffused by demonstrators anxious to avoid violence.115
At one p.m.Djopari appeared, spoke briefly to the crowd, then escorted six university students and Father Herman Awom, Assistant Secretary General of the Evangelical Christian Church of Irian Jaya, into the governor's office. Inside, after a two hour meeting with Djopari and local parliament head Nathaniel Kaiway, and phone conversations with Governor Numberi and Internal Affairs Minister Feisal Tanjung in Jakarta, it was decided that the local parliament would hold a special session on division of the province on Saturday, October 16.116
One of the new governors, Abraham Atururi, then showed up and told crowds that Numberi had instructed him to refuse the new position but that he had to go ahead with the swearing-in to show his loyalty to the government. As evening set in demonstrators vowed they would remain outside the governor's office until the new appointments and the division of the province were repealed.117
The next day hundreds of students remained, blocking doors and demanding to see the identity cards of anyone wishing to enter. On Saturday, the day of the special parliamentary session, crowds swelled again to 8,000.118
Sixty demonstrators were invited to attend the session, which lasted from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students interrupted the proceedings to demand the wording of the decision be changed from "postpone" to "reject"; another man who began orating in front of legislators had to be escorted back to his seat by a policeman.119 At four p.m., Governor Numberi and head of parliament Kaiway returned to the governor's office to announce the results: a statement would be sent to Jakarta rejecting division of the province and the appointments of the two new governors. The announcement was greeted with wild applause; Awom led a prayer, and demonstrators and legislators embraced. The governor then asked the crowds to return home, which they did, but not before dancing a few rounds of Yospan, the Irianese social dance, together with the Jayapura police chief Johny Rori and several of his men.120
Members of national parliament in Jakarta later joined in rejecting the division of Irian Jaya,121 and on November 29, the Internal Affairs Minister of the new Abdurrahman Wahid administration, Surjadi Soedirja, announced that the division of Irian Jaya had been indefinitely postponed.122
109 "Wagub Drs. JRG Djopari, MA: Pemekaran Irian Jaya Bukan Tantangan," Tifa Irian, Minggu I-II Agustus, 1999. 110 "Aksi Protes Warga Masyarakat Nabire Diwarnai Kericuhan dan Pemblokiran Banda Udara Nabire," ELSHAM Report, July 7, 1999; "Unjuk Rasa Papua Barat Sambut DPR RI, Di Manokwari Massa Dibubarkan dengan Tembakan," Cenderawasih Pos, August 6, 1999; "Ratusan Mahasiswa Demo Tolak Pemekaran," Cenderawasih Pos, September 7, 1999; and "Menolak Pemekaran, Djopari dan Mote Minta Dicopot," Tifa Irian, Minggu I-II Agustus 1999. 111 Interview with Prof. Dr Ryaas Rashid of the Internal Affairs Department, quoted in "Hari Ini Resmi Punya Tiga Gubernur, Mendagri Akan Lantik Monim dan Ataruri Jadi Gubernur," Cenderawasih Pos, October 12 1999. 112 Keppres No. 327, 25 September, 1999. 113 Gubernur Kepala Daerah Tingkat I Irian Jaya, Nomor: X.136/2779/SET, addressed to the Internal Affairs Minister Feisal Tanjung, October 1999. 114 "Demonstrasi Mahasiswa dan Masyarakat Menolak Pemekaran Willayah Irian Jaya di Jayapura," ELSHAM Report, October 17, 1999. 115 Ibid. 116 "DPRD I Akan Bersidang Tolak Pemekaran: Warga Duduki Kantor Gubernur Irja," Suara Pembaruan, October 16, 1999. 117 "Demonstrasi Mahasiswa dan Masyarakat Menolak Pemekaran Willayah Irian Jaya di Jayapura," ELSHAM Report, October 17, 1999. 118 Ibid. 119 "DPRD Tk I Tolak Pemekaran Provinsi," Suara Pembaruan, October 17, 1999. 120 "Demonstrasi Mahasiswa dan Masyarakat Menolak Pemekaran Willayah Irian Jaya di Jayapura," ELSHAM Report, October 17, 1999. In the ensuing days, demonstrations were held in Serui, Biak, Sorong, and Nabire. Community leaders in each town issued political statements, copied to Habibie, Wiranto, heads of Parliament, and the Department of Internal Affairs, reminding the central government of the aspirations expressed by the Team of 100 in February and July 1999. The statement from Serui noted that 16,281 people in the Yapen Waropen district had chosen independence in an informal survey conducted earlier in the year. Pernyataan Sikap Politik Papua Barat di Yapen Waropen, Serui, Oktober 14, 1999. The statement from Biak Numfor cited the Declaration of the Universal Rights of Man, the Bible and Pancasila. Suara Hati Nurani Rakyat Papua di Biak Numfor, Biak,Oktober 14, 1999. The statement from Sorong evoked Papuan fears of ethnic extinction, and demanded an international human rights investigation into violations in Irian Jaya, Timor, Aceh and Ambon. Demonstrasi Damai Penolakan Pemekaran Masyarakat Papua di Sorong: Pernyataan Sikap, Oktober 14, 1999. 121 "Anggota MPR Asal Irja Tolak Pemekaran," Suara Pembaruan, November 17, 1999. 122 "Pemekaran Irja Ditunda," Suara Pembaruan, November 29, 1999.